AI + Money

Michael Thomas is a McDonald’s regular in DeKalb, Illinois. His usual order is a Quarter Pounder with cheese, fries and a Coke. He noticed that the same order cost different amounts at different McDonald’s restaurants in his own neighborhood.

Now he’s the lead name on a lawsuit. On Oct. 2, he filed a proposed nationwide class action against McDonald’s in federal court in Chicago, according to the Guardian. The complaint calls it “algorithmic price-fixing aimed at customers who are already stretched thin.”

What the lawsuit claims.

What McDonald’s says. The company says the complaint “is filled with inaccuracies” and it will fight it. “AI does not set menu prices at McDonald’s restaurants – McDonald’s franchisees do,” a spokesperson said. It says the tools are optional and “do not automate, coordinate or fix pricing in any way.” A Reuters investigation reported that some franchise owners were pressured to use the tools. McDonald’s called that reporting “speculative and uninformed.” No court has ruled on any of this.

Why people are paying attention. McDonald’s own numbers say the average menu item cost about 40% more in 2024 than in 2019. In 2023, an $18 Big Mac meal at a Connecticut McDonald’s went viral. That restaurant’s owner later filed a lawsuit saying an AI pricing tool suggested the price. One New Yorker told the Guardian a value meal costs him about $15 in Manhattan and closer to $9 in Brooklyn.

It’s not just burgers. On Oct. 5, Walmart published an open letter to Lindsay Owens, head of the think tank Groundwork Collaborative, who wrote a book on this topic. Owens had said shoppers who use Walmart’s AI assistant, Sparky, spend 35% more. Walmart’s answer: “We price products, not people.” It says it does not use your income, shopping history or how urgently you need something to set your price. It also says it doesn’t raise prices for things like ice cream on a hot day. At least 90 bills pushing back on algorithmic price-fixing have been filed across the country this year, according to Owens.

What this means for you. Nobody has proven that McDonald’s or Walmart charges people different prices based on who they are. But experts told CNBC that AI and data tools could make personalized pricing easier to use. Personalized prices are hard to spot because you can’t see what the person next to you paid. A few easy checks:

Zypper’s take. The price of a Big Mac used to be the price of a Big Mac. Now it can depend on the location, the app and maybe the software behind them. This lawsuit may or may not win. Either way, it’s worth checking prices across locations and apps instead of assuming they’re all the same.

The setup. Priya Celadine, a baker and mechanical engineer in Bengaluru, posted her monthly burn rate for living in Indiranagar — one of the city’s trendy neighborhoods. “₹78,500 a month. Just to exist in Indiranagar,” she wrote. “Turns out, Indiranagar has its own tax system.” The post pulled hundreds of thousands of views and a familiar fight about what “normal” city living costs.

The numbers. Here’s her share of the household, as reported by Hunterfly and Moneycontrol. USD figures use ~₹95 per dollar (mid-Oct 2026):

She lives in a two-bedroom with a flatmate — so rent and domestic help are her half, not the full bill.

Zypper’s take.

Gym + supplements + eating out = ~$190. That’s more than groceries. The internet pile-on wasn’t about whether ₹78,500 is “a lot” in Bangalore. It was about which lines feel like living vs. lifestyle.

The honest part. She thought she was being responsible until she wrote the list. Same trick works in any city: write every recurring number down once. The total is usually the surprise.

The SSA announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries get the bump starting January 2027. Average retirement benefits rise about $75 a month. About 7.3 million SSI recipients see higher payments beginning Dec. 31, 2026. Last year’s COLA was 2.8%. Some coverage notes the bump may still lag September’s 3.7% CPI — especially if Medicare premiums climb again.

The Fed’s Survey of Consumer Finances (2022–2025) says median family net worth rose only 2% to $215,900. Median income rose faster: 7% to $82,200. Families late on loan payments jumped from 12% to nearly 20% — the worst since 2010. Among families with credit card debt (~45%), the median balance went from $150 in 2022 to $3,100 in 2025. Bottom-quartile median net worth fell more than 50%, from $3,800 to $1,700.

September CPI rose 3.7% year over year, up from 3.4% in August. Prices jumped 0.6% month to month — the biggest gain in five months. Energy led; the Fed’s next decision is Oct. 27–28.

CoreWeave shares sank about 15.5% as yields on its junk-rated bonds approached 15%. Oracle dropped nearly 9%. Hyperscalers Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle have issued more than $228 billion in bonds this year — more than double all of 2025 — while JPMorgan sees hyperscaler AI spend on track for $800 billion in 2026. Easy money for the AI buildout is getting a second look.

“Good debt” that feels like bad debt — A Columbus homeowner’s ~$1,200 mortgage ran $200 over plan after taxes and rate surprises. Former FDIC chair Sheila Bair’s line: your default assumption should be against debt.

Why a 3.6% COLA can still feel small — Average bump is about $75/month, but healthcare-heavy budgets may still lose ground if inflation and Medicare premiums outrun it.

Wealth up 2%. Late payments at a 15-year high. — The Fed’s SCF in one chart: stock-and-home owners did fine; renters and the bottom quartile did not.

AI’s bond market just said “yikes” — CoreWeave yields near 15%, Elon Musk replied “yikes,” and hyperscaler bond supply is already double last year’s total.

Prices rose 3.7% over the past year. If you had to find an extra $50 a week, where would you cut first?

Hit reply and tell me why. I read every one.